Writing Prompts
by RClaybourne
Summary: This will be a series of one shots based on creative writing prompts. Feel free to comment about likes, dislikes or characters you might like to hear more about. I'm planning to use these short stories to fill in the blanks.


Writing Prompts

These will be a collection of stand alone chapters.

Chapter 1 Hidden Away

Hidden away on the inside of the jacket was what appeared to be a Father's Day card. There was a photo taped inside of the card and a handwritten note. The photo was of the four of them. Maddie had the biggest smile on her face as she leaned her cheek against her baby sister. Her parents, however, were completely focused on each other. She didn't recall a time that they'd ever looked so in love with each other. Even in their wedding photos there seemed to be something missing. She didn't realize it, of course, when she was a little kid. Back then she thought her mom looked like a princess and her dad was the Prince Charming that came to sweep her off her feet. Later though, after her world fell apart, after her Dad moved away, after she learned Maddie had a different father than she, after she saw her mom with Deacon...by then she could see that the love her mother had for her father wasn't the same as the love she had for Deacon. She knew by then that her dad had never swept her mom off her feet. She hadn't minded when Deacon moved in. He was sick back then and naturally everyone was worried. At the time she even encouraged his moving in. Her mom seemed so much happier when he was around, and she appreciated that. Something still nagged at her though. It was a feeling that she didn't belong. Her mom, Deacon, Maddie ... they were the family. She didn't belong with them. Home no longer felt like home. She was even ready to move in with her dad, but then he was carted off to jail! He was on TV in handcuffs! She believed he was innocent, though. She even physically fought with kids at school over it, was so unlike her. The truth was, she had never felt so lost before. She tried to adjust to a new normal but the rest of her family was so caught up in one drama after another. Deacon got a liver, but Beverly died. Once things got better there was a whirlwind wedding. Before she even had a chance to breathe Maddie ran away and got a lawyer and filed for emancipation! By that point she was feeling so neglected she began to wonder whether her mom recalled that she had a second daughter. All she did was grieve over Maddie not being there when she herself was standing right in front of her! Her mom no longer had time for her. There were even a couple of school nights when she slept over at friends' houses on school nights! If it hadn't been for her Aunt Tandy stepping in she sometimes wondered if her mom even wanted a second daughter. Maybe she was the real accident, or just something her mom agreed to do to keep up appearances and look like she really cared for Teddy. Maybe it was a career move so her fans wouldn't get suspicious.  
Her mom told her that she had loved her dad and she accepted that halfheartedly, but Rayna died. She didn't JUST die. They'd had time to talk while she was in the hospital. In fact, some of their last moments together were of her mother trying to convince her she could rely on Deacon. Deacon was fine, but he wasn't her dad. She wasn't at the top of his priority list the way her mom and Maddie and even Scarlett were. Maybe her mom never did love Teddy Conrad, but she herself did. He was an amazing father and he was dazzled by and devoted to her mother, all as her mother longer for another man. If it wasn't for Deacon, she'd decided, her parents might've been happy together. She might've been wanted! Her dad might not be in jail right now. Her mom might not have died!  
It had gotten to a point where nothing seemed to matter anymore. Life didn't matter anymore. One night she was lying on the couch in her dad's old study, just staring. Eventually the staring started getting to her and books on the shelves started to somehow look out of place, so she'd gotten up and was running her fingers across the books, landing on one that seemed out of place. "The Reasons Why I Love Us." It wasn't it handmade book. It had a hard cover, but there were pages to be filled in. She could feel the tears welling up as she began opening pages. It seemed odd that this book would be in her dad's study, but he had been gone for a while. To her surprise, this wasn't a book from or for Deacon as she assumed. it was a book from her mom to her dad, filled with poems and short stories and places where her mom had written in all of the little reasons that she loved her dad. The comments were everything from thoughtful to romantic to downright adorable!

Best of all, hidden away in the jacket was the card with family photo and a message from Rayna to Teddy.

"This card wasn't big enough to share all of the ways I love you, but I thought this book might be a good start. You absolutely complete me Teddy and I love the life we've made together. I thought life was perfect before but I had no idea what we were missing before Miss Daphne arrived. I can already tell already that she has your sweet disposition. Our family is everything. Happy Father's Day, Teddy!

She stared at the photo for a while, dropping to the floor next to the desk as she held it in her hands. There had been love there once between her parents. She wasn't a mistake She WAS loved. She HAD been wanted. She was startled out of her thoughts when she heard her name being called. She could hear him coming to look for her to tell her dinner was ready. He had a smile on his lips though his eyes were still sad.

"Hey, sweet pea! You doing ok? Tacos are ready. I used that seasoning you like."

She paused just a moment before walking over to him and throwing her arms around his waist, surprising him. "Thanks, Dad. I love you!"

Deacon could tell she wasn't just talking about the tacos. His cooking had evolved, but not enough to warrant that reaction. For the first time in many months, he could feel the smile finally reach his eyes


End file.
